QUB, UU To Accept 1,100 Fewer Students

Next September Queen's and Ulster University will together accept up to 1,100 fewer students as a result of education cuts announced by the Executive.

The news comes in a joint statement released by Professor Richard Barnett, Vice Chancellor, Ulster University and Professor Patrick Johnston, Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University Belfast.

The statement said that most of Northern Ireland's students "are still likely to go to university," but may be forced to go to England or Scotland, where they "will pay tuition fees of £9,000."

The recently-agreed budget set out by the Executive indicates cuts to higher education could potentially reach 10.8%.

Higher education contributes £1.5 billion annually to the local economy and provides 8,000 graduates each year.

"Past experience suggests that the majority of our young people who are forced to leave will never return," the statement said. "And the irony is that the Northern Ireland Executive will still have to cover a significant part of the cost of educating these students. In effect, the Executive will be encouraging local talent to leave Northern Ireland whilst subsidising universities in England and Scotland.

"Everyone who is involved in selling Northern Ireland abroad, and trying to attract inward investment, knows that one of our biggest selling points lies in the quality of our universities and the steady support of high quality graduates. Reducing the number of graduates will affect the skills base and ultimately have a devastating impact on this region’s investment proposition."

The joint statement said that over the past four years both Ulster University and Queen’s University have already had to make efficiency savings as their budget has been cut by some 18%, including 4% in the current year.

(IT/CD)